Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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151. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of re-instating payments to bus drivers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6240/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The School Transport Scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over 147,900 children, including over 18,000 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.

In addition, school transport scheme services are being provided in the current school year for over 3,800 children who have arrived to Ireland from Ukraine.

The total cost of the scheme in 2022 was €332.2m.

The purpose of the Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.

In order to prevent and control measures to reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 in line with public health advice for schools, a COVID-19 daily cleaning allowance has been given to contractors as part of a wider COVID-19 Capitation Grant and School Transport Allowance.

Officials in my Department are currently engaging with colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to the sanction for the continued funding of these grants for the remainder of the 2022/2023 school year.